Blah Blah Blah - Billy Kelly Live in Philly

Billy Kelly, sans the Blah Blah Blahs, played upstairs at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia yesterday.  Thanks to the flu and other illnesses, Kelly's backing band was left behind in Lewisburg, PA.  Fortunately, the funny, talented kindie rocker came prepared with a Macbook, flip charts and a beatbox.  While the accouterments didn't totally make up for absent musicians, it certainly made for a curious and inventive fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of stage show.

The special Halloween performance saw numerous kids in costume - Hermione Granger, Luke Skywalker, a couple Power Rangers, Evil Spiderman, an alligator and a very cute lil' girl as a bumble bee - a handful of 'em took home prizes for their dress-up efforts.  Everyone took away official Happy Club membership certificates.

Billy Kelly's set comprised of a 7 tunes off his debut album along with the holiday appropriate "Monster Mash" (sung in a spot-on Jimmy Stewart voice), and "Family Garden" and "Dance from Outer Space" - a couple of impressive new tunes.

On "Family Garden", Kelly imports some of his more country crooner/Johnny Cash influences with stellar results.  It's got a different vibe then the "Happy Club" songs, warmer and more rootsy in nature.  "Dance from Outer Space" is the story of the earth being invading by a dance that melts your brain - awesome!  Can't wait to hear a recorded version of that upbeat number with all the bells and whistles.  Check out videos of both below (posted with Billy Kelly's permission).

"Family Garden"

"Dance from Outer Space"

New York readers take note: Catch Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs on November 15th at the 92Y in Tribeca and then later in the year at the Long Island Children's Museum.

Billy Kelly's People Really Like Milk Video

The song of the summer finally has a video - a hand drawn, hilarious 2 1/2 minutes in which you get to see cartoon-Billy Kelly in a silk nightgown, a tutu and a kilt. In fact, there are more costume changes here than a Britney Spears concert. The concept of the "People Really Like Milk" video is pretty straightforward, giving a black & white visual to every word in the song. It's the perfect strategy for bringing this song to life, with it's numerous funny references to ducks, Uncle Sam, riding bikes and Chewbacca.

This thing could totally go viral, it's a riot.

Enjoy:

Billy Kelly Live In My Backyard

Seeing as how he resides a mere 2 hours away from OWTK Headquarters, I invited Billy Kelly, he of the Happy Club and self-professed milk lover, over to play a few tunes for the Mouse's 2nd Birthday Party.

He (and his new hair-do) played solo, sans PA or amp, and sounded fantastic. His quick wit and wry humor won over most all of the kids (even those too-cool-for-school) and the adults, none of whom were familiar with Billy before yesterday (god forbid my own family read OWTK!)








The crowd was treated to "The First Song", "People Really Like Milk", "I Don't Know", "S-N-O-W-M-A-N" (which involved a good amount of audience participation) and "Thank You For Joining The Happy Club", all from his album of the same name. On the title track, Billy took it as a challenge to engage one of my miserable looking nephews, who happen to sit up front. By the end of the song the boy had became "the favorite member of The Happy Club"...and was actually seen sporting a smile, however briefly.

Billy also covered Bing Crosby's "Swinging on a Star", much to the delight of my elder family members, and re-worked Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere Man" using only Pennsylvania towns. Our backyard gig also served as the ideal venue for Billy to debut a new track called "Family Garden". Appropriately enough, the Bear took Mr. & Mrs. Kelly on a tour of our family's raised veggie bed after the set. Once finished, several kids lined up for their official Happy Club membership certificates signed by BK.

He was an awesome addition to our event. Billy and his family are charming and friendly...and that's reason enough to buy his music! So, go do so now.

Read OWTK's interview with Billy Kelly. Also check out the OWTK review of his debut family album "Thank You For Joining The Happy Club".

The Billy Kelly Show Is Here!

It's been quite a month for one Mr. Billy Kelly of Lewisburg, PA. First, a review and interview right here on OWTK, then a review by a little radio program called All Things Considered on NPR and now the debut of his online variety show.

As the kiddies say (or said a decade ago) - Billy Kelly is officially blowin' up.

The first episode of the Billy Kelly Show, sponsored in part by Fun and Springtime! and briefly by Sandwich in a Can, is now live in two parts. Hilarious stuff (Part 1 especially). Check it out.

Behind the Velvet Ropes of The Happy Club

Enjoy this exclusive demo version of Springtime: It's My Favorite from Billy Kelly.



Get caught up on OWTK's coverage of Billy Kelly and his Happy Club here and here.

Watch the video for Springtime: It's My Favorite, featuring the fully recorded version of the tune.

Billy Kelly - An OWTK Kid's Music Interview

A few days ago OWTK sat down with Billy Kelly for a lil' Q&A. Technically speaking, I was standing. Billy could have been standing as well or sitting or laying down. I'm going to assume he was sitting while answering my email but kneeling is also possibility. Kneeling isn't really comfortable though, so he probably wasn't doing that unless he was working in a garden but how could he have been answering email while gardening? I guess he could have been dictating his responses to one of his handlers as he planted petunias and dahlias.

I wanted to chat with Mr. Kelly to clarify a few things about his identity and also to learn a bit about the origins of his fantastic debut family record "Thank You For Joining The Happy Club".

In the end, I came away even more confused but chuckling all the while. Mr. Kelly is one funny fella on record and via email. Read on...

OWTK: Earl Pickens, Billy Kelly...who the heck are you sir?
Billy Kelly: Even I'm not sure sometimes. My rule of thumb for figuring out who I am at any given moment is: Earl Pickens rides a unicycle and dresses like a cowboy. Billy Kelly just rides a unicycle.

OWTK: Where did "...The Happy Club" come from? What made you record and release an All-Ages/Family record?

BK: I'm always writing songs and — well, not always. Right now I'm doing this interview, for example. But I'm always writing songs when I'm not doing this interview. Love songs, dance songs, political songs, sad songs, funny songs; all different types of songs.

After a few years of writing I found that I had a handful of songs that didn't quite fit in with my other songs. Some of them, like "Thank You for Joining the Happy Club", were written specifically for my kids, but others I wrote solely to amuse myself. ("People Really Like Milk" & "I Can't Get Away From Myself" for example.) Obviously, I am very easily amused.

I was looking for a New Years Resolution for 2009, and I settled on the idea of recording a CD of my weirdest songs. Since my daughters would often ask me to play these oddball songs when I was practicing in the house, I decided to approach the project as a children's album.

OWTK: Stylistically, where did the record originate? What music influenced the music on "Thank You For Joining The Happy Club"?

BK: We were out for a family [trip] on New Years Day and we were listening to "The Monkees Greatest Hits" in the car. After a few songs, my then-5-year-old asked "Is this CD for little kids?" I told her "No, not really," and explained that The Monkees were sort of a band for teenagers and grown-ups, but that little kids seem to like some of their songs too. She replied "Well I think this CD is for little kids." That became my approach to "Thank You For Joining the Happy Club". I didn't want to make a kids album that adults could tolerate, I wanted to make an adult album that kids would love. The fact that roughly half of the songs are straight-up kids songs didn't really cross my mind. Me and The Blah Blah Blahs (my super-duper band) worked on this record like it was a greatest hits pop collection.

"The Monkees" ended up being my starting point for every song in the studio. I love their harmonies and backing vocals in particular, and on this CD I tried to do my own version of things I heard in the background on their songs. I always think of The Monkees as the plastic Beatles, and it was fun trying to copy them knowing that they were copying someone else. Who the Beatles were copying I don't know. It would be weird if they were copying the Monkees.

OWTK: How does an alt-country crooner make the transition to kindie (kids+indie) rock? I mean, seriously, what gives you the right?

BK: I believe it's in the Constitution. Right after the right to keep bare arms. I think it's the Constitution. Maybe I'm thinking of the Magna Carta. I often do. Man, I love the Magna Carta.

OWTK: Any plans to play some all-ages gigs in support of the record?

BK: YES! I want to tour this summer. I have a vision of the Kelly family hittin' the road; my guitar and a box of CDs strapped to the roof of the car. We drive to a nice town, hang out all day & take in the sights and then I play a show somewhere. Meet some people, entertain 'em, talk to 'em after the show and bid them a fond fare-thee-well as we Kelly's roll off to the next nice town and do it all again.

I've never toured in the proper music industry sense, because I don't like to be away from my family. If I could work out a way for us all to go on tour together then time on the road would suit me just fine.

OWTK: I count 3 songs with blatant spelling lessons. Do you have some radical agenda to educate our children? Dude, you're going to teach them to spell...don't you realize we parents depend on their inability to spell as a means of communicating around them. There goes my chance to ask the Mrs "do you want to let her make a S-N-O-W-M-A-N now or after nap?"

BK: The songs with spelling lessons in them are there because I was trying to teach you to count to three. You counted them all, so it looks like I succeeded. Good job, Jeff. My work here is done.

OWTK: What was your goal in making your debut kiddie record?

BK: My goal was to make the best record I possibly could, and to put a little extra sunshine into the world. I guess that's two goals. I thought it was one goal at the time, but now that I see it written out it's pretty obvious that it's two different goals. Sorry.

OWTK: Now that it's done, what are your plans for the future of the free world or (if your unwilling to share THAT level of detail) what are your plans for your future in the family music world?

BK: I've got big plans. I'll let the future of the world take care of itself (for the most part) while I work on trying to get my music out to anyone and everyone who will enjoy it. I really like the idea of making people happy. Making millions of people happy would be great. To that end I'm producing music videos for the songs from "Thank You for Joining the Happy Club", working on a children's book idea, and creating my own online show for kids.

I'm running a DIY operation here, so in addition to all of the above I'm also looking for ways to promote my cd to radio stations and to music reviewers, keeping up with orders and mailing CDs, building my web site, practicing with The Blah Blah Blahs, booking shows, playing shows, not to mention writing more songs. Oops! I mentioned writing more songs.

OWTK: Finally, tell us about The Billy Kelly Show...what should we expect? when should we expect it?

BK: "The Billy Kelly Show" is a live action/animated, serious/nonsensical theatrical production/youtube show that focuses on some version of my life that may or may not be stranger than reality. It will hopefully be "Thank You for Joining the Happy Club" brought to life. Music videos, stories, poems, jokes, illustrations, cartoons, puppets, band practice. It's all in there. I wouldn't go expecting it at all if I were you, that way you'll be really surprised when it comes out some time over the next few days!

You should become the newest member of The Happy Club. Today. Right now. Why are you still reading this? Go now and buy the CD!, which comes with your very own Happy Club membership certificate.

Billy Kelly - Thank You For Joining The Happy Club CD Review

"Thank You For Joining The Happy Club" epitomizes the not-just-for-kids byline of the family music scene as it exists in 2009. Billy Kelly, who is actually the kiddie rock secret identity of alt-country musician Earl Pickens, has crafted a incredibly listenable, quirky album perfect for every single member of the family, including any just-figuring-out-how-to-be-cynical, too-cool-for-middle-school tweens that may be running around your domicile.

Imagine if Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote lyrics for all-ages music played by an acoustic Weezer (circa mid-90's). Add a hint of Built to Spill from that same time period, and you have something in the "Thank You For Joining The Happy Club" neighborhood.

Billy Kelly's debut kid's record brims with the kind of confidence that terrific musicianship, brilliant lyrics and wonderful vocal performances afford. A gaggle of blips, hisses and sound clips inject a fanciful life into these 10 upbeat songs. Lyrically, Kelly proves himself a master of clever wordplay and insanely funny observations. While a good number of albums in the goofy/quirky category have the ability mesmerize for a spell than fade into novelty, Kelly's songs have a refreshing musical fullness to them that any lover of intricately assembled indie rock will surely appreciate - parent or not.

This record is much more than novelty. It's a fantasmagorical collection of nimble, humorous tunes that should endure the test of time (or at least remain more relevant than today's hot blogosphere hyped indie rock band).

The album opens with the line "This is the first song, the best and the worst song I have played so far". The rest of the self-referential lead song is equally hilarious, including the chorus' "ooooh you are hearing this part of the song once more" and the line "suddenly this little break comes along, seemingly unrelated to the rest of the song" in the down-tempo bridge. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

The title track is just as stellar, with it's lyrical progression charting the listener's movement through the ranks of The Happy Club (from newest member to being elected the President of, all in 3 1/2 minutes flat). The inserted clip of a paraphrased JFK speech is dripping with wit.

I cannot recall a funnier, more intelligently conceived debut family record. Billy Kelly is an "kindie rock" artist worth watching. He could easily become the poster child (liberty being taken calling a 38 year old dude a child) of the indie rock family music movement.

LISTEN TO 1/2 THE ALBUM RIGHT HERE.

BUY BILLY KELLY'S "Thank You for Joining the Happy Club" CD RIGHT NOW. Don't deliberate or discuss with a loved one. Just get it and love it.




Stay tuned to the official Happy Club Website and You Tube Channel for the upcoming Happy Club online variety show. I have it on good authority that the debut episode, Springtime: It's My Favorite, will be posted very soon!